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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
Im a little conflicted on how to rate this. The plot was great, and the story of Lili , a trans woman’s journey was told really well. The writing was at times slow, and some of the prose felt unnecessary. I found Greta to be a bit boring, she almost arced but never really did and lacked substance. I enjoyed the way Einar talked about Lili and how she existed.
Well-written, especially for a first novel. Ebershoff has compassion for all his characters, making no one the villain in the situation. Greta's grief and sense of loss at the "death" of Einar felt true. I also really liked the contrast between the landscapes--the two in Denmark as well as Paris, California, and Dresden.
I regret to say that I struggled to get through this snoozefest of a novel. This was 300 pages of dull prose and flat characters that do a disservice to the real - and fascinating - couple this story was based on. There was so little substance to the novel that I'm left without much else to say. It's a shame really, I was so looking forward to reading it.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
It seems that this book was pretty heavily fictional and didn't accurately portray Lili's story (particularly as it related to other characters), but it was nice that the author acknowledged that at the end.
I thought the Doctor character (an amalgam of the doctors that actually performed Lili's surgeries) was quite interesting because while he was really helping Lili, he seemed to be acting highly unethically and with more interest in gaining fame for himself than in finding peace for his patients.
My big complaint about this book was that I never felt that the author had a solid grip on who he wanted Greta to be so she never really felt like a fully realized character. I think she's just as interesting as Lili, so that was disappointing.
I thought the Doctor character (an amalgam of the doctors that actually performed Lili's surgeries) was quite interesting because while he was really helping Lili, he seemed to be acting highly unethically and with more interest in gaining fame for himself than in finding peace for his patients.
My big complaint about this book was that I never felt that the author had a solid grip on who he wanted Greta to be so she never really felt like a fully realized character. I think she's just as interesting as Lili, so that was disappointing.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5/5 ⭐️
I really liked this! The author dealt with the subject with a lot of sensitivity and the book was truly beautifully written. I particularly enjoyed the dual POV which allowed us to experience the relationship between the protagonists from both sides. Of course, there were certain areas where I, as a reader, could tell that this book is already 22 years old, but that is just part of the reading experience.
I really liked this! The author dealt with the subject with a lot of sensitivity and the book was truly beautifully written. I particularly enjoyed the dual POV which allowed us to experience the relationship between the protagonists from both sides. Of course, there were certain areas where I, as a reader, could tell that this book is already 22 years old, but that is just part of the reading experience.
After seeing the film, almost a year ago, I can tell that Mr. Tom Hooper, the director, has done a very good job. His idea to hire Eddie Redmayne was the marvelous thing ever. When you're reading author's descriptions of Einar/Lili, you could see no one but Eddie. I've had no problem reading the book after the film, because they are completely different things and both of them were great.
Despite the fact that this book is work of fiction, Einar Wegener was a real person, one of the first recipients of sex reassignment surgery. His travel to become a woman and feel free, once and forever, made me feel sad, again. But thanks to author's beautiful descriptions of people, things and environment itself (maybe sometimes too much), I finished this book with a smile on my face.
Tom Hooper
Despite the fact that this book is work of fiction, Einar Wegener was a real person, one of the first recipients of sex reassignment surgery. His travel to become a woman and feel free, once and forever, made me feel sad, again. But thanks to author's beautiful descriptions of people, things and environment itself (maybe sometimes too much), I finished this book with a smile on my face.
Tom Hooper